Touchpad combined with a display and having proximity and touch sensing capabilities to enable different functions or interfaces to be displayed

ABSTRACT

A touch-sensitive and far-field or proximity sensitive touchpad combined with a display, wherein the touchpad is formed as a touchstrip that is concealed inside the display, wherein a first function or interface such as a menu is enabled when an actuating device reaches a threshold distance from the touchpad, wherein a second function or interface is enabled when the actuating device makes contact with the touchpad, and wherein the first function may or may not continue after contact is made with the touchpad.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This document claims priority to and incorporates by reference all ofthe subject matter included in the provisional patent application docketnumbers 4137.CIRQ.PR, having Ser. No. 60/989,047 and filed on Nov. 19,2007, and docket number 4292.CIRQ.PR, having Ser. No. 61/128,529 andfiled on May 22, 2008.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to electronic appliances that combinetouchpad capabilities and a display, wherein a first function orinterface is made active when an actuating device is detected inproximity of a touchpad, and wherein a second function or interface ismade active when the actuating device makes contact with the touchpad.

2. Description of Related Art

Touchpads have been combined with a display or display screen (referredto hereinafter as a “display”) to provide added functionality ordifferent means of providing input. Consider the display that includes atouch-sensitive strip disposed around a perimeter of a display. Thetouchstrip was provided to add the ability to scroll by moving a fingeralong the touchstrip. What was apparent from the prior art is that thetouchstrip required contact in order to perform any function, and thefunction described was limited in scope to scrolling.

It is useful to describe one embodiment of touchpad technology that canbe used in the present invention. Specifically, thecapacitance-sensitive touchpad technology of CIRQUE® Corporation can beused to implement the present invention when combined with a display,such as a liquid crystal display (LCD). The CIRQUE® Corporation touchpadis a mutual capacitance-sensing device and an example is illustrated inFIG. 1. The touchpad can be implemented using an opaque surface or usinga transparent surface. Thus, the touchpad can be operated as aconventional touchpad or as a touch sensitive surface on a display, andthus as a touch screen.

In this touchpad technology of CIRQUE® Corporation, a grid of row andcolumn electrodes is used to define the touch-sensitive area of thetouchpad. Typically, the touchpad is a rectangular grid of approximately16 by 12 electrodes, or 8 by 6 electrodes when there are spaceconstraints. Interlaced with these row and column electrodes is a singlesense electrode. All position measurements are made through the senseelectrode. However, the row and column electrodes can also act as thesense electrode, so the important aspect is that at least one electrodeis driving a signal, and another electrode is used for detection of asignal.

In more detail, FIG. 1 shows a capacitance sensitive touchpad 10 astaught by Cirque® Corporation includes a grid of row (12) and column(14) (or X and Y) electrodes in a touchpad electrode grid. Allmeasurements of touchpad parameters are taken from a single senseelectrode 16 also disposed on the touchpad electrode grid, and not fromthe X or Y electrodes 12, 14. No fixed reference point is used formeasurements. Touchpad sensor control circuitry 20 generates signalsfrom P,N generators 22, 24 that are sent directly to the X and Yelectrodes 12, 14 in various patterns. Accordingly, there is aone-to-one correspondence between the number of electrodes on thetouchpad electrode grid, and the number of drive pins on the touchpadsensor control circuitry 20.

The touchpad 10 does not depend upon an absolute capacitive measurementto determine the location of a finger (or other capacitive object) onthe touchpad surface. The touchpad 10 measures an imbalance inelectrical charge to the sense line 16. When no pointing object is onthe touchpad 10, the touchpad sensor control circuitry 20 is in abalanced state, and there is no signal on the sense line 16. There mayor may not be a capacitive charge on the electrodes 12, 14. In themethodology of CIRQUE® Corporation, that is irrelevant. When a pointingdevice creates imbalance because of capacitive coupling, a change incapacitance occurs on the plurality of electrodes 12, 14 that comprisethe touchpad electrode grid. What is measured is the change incapacitance, and not the absolute capacitance value on the electrodes12, 14. The touchpad 10 determines the change in capacitance bymeasuring the amount of charge that must be injected onto the sense line16 to reestablish or regain balance on the sense line.

The touchpad 10 must make two complete measurement cycles for the Xelectrodes 12 and for the Y electrodes 14 (four complete measurements)in order to determine the position of a pointing object such as afinger. The steps are as follows for both the X 12 and the Y 14electrodes:

First, a group of electrodes (say a select group of the X electrodes 12)are driven with a first signal from P, N generator 22 and a firstmeasurement using mutual capacitance measurement device 26 is taken todetermine the location of the largest signal. However, it is notpossible from this one measurement to know whether the finger is on oneside or the other of the closest electrode to the largest signal.

Next, shifting by one electrode to one side of the closest electrode,the group of electrodes is again driven with a signal. In other words,the electrode immediately to the one side of the group is added, whilethe electrode on the opposite side of the original group is no longerdriven.

Third, the new group of electrodes is driven and a second measurement istaken.

Finally, using an equation that compares the magnitude of the twosignals measured, the location of the finger is determined.

Accordingly, the touchpad 10 measures a change in capacitance in orderto determine the location of a finger. All of this hardware and themethodology described above assume that the touchpad sensor controlcircuitry 20 is directly driving the electrodes 12, 14 of the touchpad10. Thus, for a typical 12×16 electrode grid touchpad, there are a totalof 28 pins (12+16=28) available from the touchpad sensor controlcircuitry 20 that are used to drive the electrodes 12, 14 of theelectrode grid.

The sensitivity or resolution of the CIRQUE® Corporation touchpad ismuch higher than the 16 by 12 grid of row and column electrodes implies.The resolution is typically on the order of 960 counts per inch, orgreater. The exact resolution is determined by the sensitivity of thecomponents, the spacing between the electrodes on the same rows andcolumns, and other factors that are not material to the presentinvention.

Although the CIRQUE® touchpad described above uses a grid of X and Yelectrodes and a separate and single sense electrode, the senseelectrode can also be the X or Y electrodes by using multiplexing.Either design will enable the present invention to function.

The underlying technology for the CIRQUE® Corporation touchpad is basedon capacitive sensors. However, other touchpad technologies can also beused for the present invention. These other proximity-sensitive andtouch-sensitive touchpad technologies include electromagnetic,inductive, pressure sensing, electrostatic, ultrasonic, optical,resistive membrane, semi-conductive membrane or other finger orstylus-responsive technology.

Having identified the technology that can be used to implement theinvention, it should also be understood that the prior art fails toteach the ability to change the output on a display without makingcontact with a touch interface. For example, the prior art is repletewith examples of using a touchpad or a touch screen to control input andhave a result shown on a display. However, the prior art fails to showhow a proximity sensitive device can track movement of a non-touchingobject, and still affect the output shown on a display.

Accordingly, what is needed is a touchpad or touch screen that iscapable of far-field or proximity sensing as well as touch sensing, andwherein the touchpad or touch screen are combined with a display. Itwould be an advantage to provide proximity sensing of an object such asa user's hand that could perform proximity gesturing, wherein a gestureperformed in three dimensional space within a sensing region of thetouchpad or touch screen will be used as input to perform a desiredfunction, send a command, or cause a particular interface to bedisplayed and/or interacted with by the proximity or touch input.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a touch-sensitiveand far-field or proximity sensitive touchpad or touch screen(hereinafter to be referred to collectively as a touchpad), and combinedwith a display.

It is another object to dispose the touchpad underneath a front bezel, aside panel, a rear panel, or any combination of the three on a display.

It is another object to dispose the touchpad in a location of thedisplay that enables detection and tracking of an object inthree-dimensional space, to thereby enable proximity gesturing.

It is another object to enable the display to show a first interface orperform a first function when an actuating device such as a finger movesto within a detectable distance of the touchpad.

It is another object for the first function to be the display of a menu,wherein the touchpad can use proximity sensing or touch sensing todetermine which item is being selected from the displayed menu.

It is another object for the touchpad to use proximity or touch sensingto scroll through items shown in the menu and perform page turning.

It is another object for the touchpad to use proximity or touch sensingto select an item being shown in the menu.

It is another object to be able to sense a direction from which a fingeris approaching the touchpad.

It is another object to perform proximity gestures that enablenon-touching gestures performed in three-dimensional space within asensing area of the touchpad to cause functions or commands to beexecuted or interfaces to be displayed or to change.

In a preferred embodiment, the present invention is a touch-sensitiveand far-field or proximity sensitive touchpad or touch screen combinedwith a display, wherein the touchpad is formed as a touchstrip that isconcealed inside the display housing, wherein a first function,interface or command is shown, changed or executed when an actuatingdevice reaches a threshold distance from the touchpad, wherein a secondfunction or interface is enabled when the actuating device makes contactwith the touchpad, and wherein proximity gestures can be performed inthree-dimensional space within range of the touchpad but withoutrequiring contact.

In a first aspect of the invention, the touchpad is formed as a narrowstrip that enables movement of a pointing object along a lengthwise axisof the touchpad.

In a second aspect of the invention, the touchpad is implemented as asingle-layer touchpad that is capable of detection of movement along asingle axis.

In a third aspect of the invention, the touchpad is implemented as amulti-layer general purpose touchpad that can detect movement in two orthree dimensions.

These and other objects, features, advantages and alternative aspects ofthe present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the artfrom a consideration of the following detailed description taken incombination with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the components of a capacitance-sensitivetouchpad as made by CIRQUE® Corporation and which can be operated inaccordance with the principles of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a profile view of a finger above a watch that includes a touchand proximity sensitive touchpad.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a display that has concealed within itone or more touchstrips that are disposed under the front bezel, theside panel or the rear panel.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a finger that is detected by aproximity-sensitive touchstrip, wherein a menu activated by detection isoperated by the finger moving in space above the touchstrip.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a display showing an icon that isgrowing as a function of the distance of an actuating object from thedisplay.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Reference will now be made to the drawings in which the various elementsof the present invention will be given numerical designations and inwhich the invention will be discussed so as to enable one skilled in theart to make and use the invention. It is to be understood that thefollowing description is only exemplary of the principles of the presentinvention, and should not be viewed as narrowing the claims whichfollow.

From the aspect of hardware, the present invention is a display combinedwith a touchpad (or touch screen) that includes both proximity sensingand touch sensing capabilities. The present invention relates to howthis hardware is disposed in relation to a display, and how the hardwareis then used.

The use of the present invention is related to proximity functions andtouch functions. Regarding proximity functions, this can be as simple asdetection and tracking movement of the actuating object. Of morecomplexity is the aspect of proximity gestures. Proximity gestures aredefined as movement of an actuating object in a way that can be detectedby the touchpad. In other words, a specific movement inthree-dimensional space that can be identified is then associated withor defines an action to be performed. Actions include such things asperforming a function or executing a command, activating an interface,or changing an interface. These actions should not be considered aslimiting but are only examples.

A first embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 2is a side view of an electronic appliance, which is this example is awatch 30. The example of a watch 30 is for illustration purposes only,and should not be considered to be a limiting example. Thus, anyelectronic appliance, portable or stationary, can be substituted for thewatch 30. What is important to understand is that the watch 30 includesa display and a touchpad including both proximity and touch sensingcapabilities.

In FIG. 2, an actuating device, which in this example is a user'sfinger, is brought to within a threshold distance 36 of the watch 30.The threshold distance 36 is the distance at which the actuating deviceis detectable by the touchpad 34 without making physical contact. Thethreshold distance 36 can vary significantly depending upon thetechnology being used for the touchpad 34, for the display 32, and forthe configuration of the touchpad and the display in relationship toeach other. What is important for the present invention is that thetouchpad 34 is capable of detecting the actuating device before physicalcontact is made. Thus, the actual threshold distance 36 may vary.

In this example, the watch 30 includes an LCD display 32, but anysuitable display that can be combined with a touchpad 34 can be used. Itis also important to understand that the touchpad 34 can be disposed ontop of the display 32 or underneath. Making contact with the display 32if the touchpad 34 is disposed underneath will satisfy the requirementof “physical contact” with the touchpad.

The embodiment above envisions that the touchpad 34 is on top of orunderneath an LCD. However, in an alternative embodiment, the touchpad34 is integrated into the technology of the display. For example,electrodes used to implement display technology can also be used as theelectrodes of the touchpad 34.

Once the actuating device is detected at the threshold distance 36,either a first function, a first interface or both are actuated. Forexample, consider the watch 30. When the finger reaches the thresholddistance 36, a light 38 in the watch 30 may be activated to illuminatethe watch so that it can display the present time. This is a function.

An example of an interface is to display a menu or virtual buttons onthe display 32 that could be used to set the present time or date, or acombination of a menu and virtual buttons.

It may be desirable to activate both a function and an interface at thesame time. For example, the light 38 is illuminated and the virtualbuttons are displayed when the threshold distance 36 is reached. Itshould be noted that the user does not have to make contact with thetouchpad 34 after reaching the threshold distance 36. Actuating a firstfunction may be all that is desired.

After a function, an interface or both are actuated on the display 32,it may be desirable to perform a second function, activate a secondinterface, or both. This second function or interface can be activatedby movement or touch.

For example, the second function or interface can be activated by movingthe actuating device in a proximity gesture. The proximity gesture mightbe a simple movement of the actuating device closer to the touchpad 34,or it could be a different movement.

The second function or interface might also be activated by touch. Thus,the actuating device can be moved until it makes contact with thetouchpad 34. No limitation is being made or suggested as to what actionsare being caused to happen by proximity gestures or touching of thetouchpad 34 by the actuating device. Thus by way of example only, makingcontact could result in the following actions. The first function and/orinterface may be deactivated and a second function and/or interface maybe activated. The first function and/or interface activated, and then asecond function and/or interface is activated. In other words, the firstfunction and/or interface do not have to be mutually exclusive events oractions. The functions and/or interfaces may or may not conflict, so itmay be possible to activate a first function and interface, but thenonly deactivate only one of the first function or interface when contactis made and the second function and/or interface is activated.

The proximity gestures that can be detected by the present invention areany gestures that can be performed by a detectable object. Such gesturesincludes such actions as moving a finger towards the touchpad 34, movingthe finger away from the touchpad, moving the finger in a specificmotion such as making a circling motion, or manipulating the actuatingdevice so that the shape of the actuating device can be defined as agesture. For example, bringing all the fingers of a hand together sothat the hand is flat could be a recognizable gesture. Extending thethumb from the flat hand could be another gesture. Thus, proximitygestures include recognizable movements and recognizable shapes of theactuating device.

In summary, actions do not have to be mutually exclusive events. A firstfunction or interface that is caused to be executed or to appear may bemodified by a subsequent action, or may not be affected at all by asubsequent action. Thus, a first function or interface might be executedor displayed as a result of a proximity gesture, such as the approach ofa finger. Subsequent proximity and/or touch gestures will then activatecorresponding different functions and/or interfaces.

Another aspect of the invention is the ability to provide multiplelayers of touchpad interfaces or menus to a user. Using the example ofthe watch 30, a first interface may show virtual buttons for changingthe time. After contact is made and the time is or is not adjusted, theuser may be able to change the virtual buttons so that they are now usedfor the input of a date. Accordingly, multiple menus can be displayed,with the possibility of each menu being arranged differently fromothers. For example, a first interface may provide a circular scrollingwheel function for changing time, and a second interface may provide alinear scrolling bar function for changing a date, wherein the circularscrolling wheel and the linear scrolling bar occupy much of same spaceas shown on the display 32.

Another useful aspect of the invention is that the touchpad can providetouchpad zones that are capable of functioning as buttons themselves.Touchpad zones are typically provided by a single layer touchpad thatdoes not provide more complex touchpad functionality, but is insteadlimited to providing button input. In a related concept, a proximitygesture or a particular button on the touchpad surface activates adesired arrangement of virtual touchpad buttons. Similarly, a mechanicalbutton can be used to bring up a selected arrangement of virtualtouchpad buttons.

The embodiments above have been directed to a touchpad that is combinedwith a display. Alternatively, the touchpad is not combined with adisplay. Consider a touchpad disposed beneath a keypad of a stationaryor portable electronic appliance such as a mobile telephone. Bringing anactuating device such as a hand or finger near the keypad could “wake”the mobile telephone from a sleep mode. Likewise, the opposite functioncould also be performed by putting the stationary or portable electronicappliance into a “sleep” mode by performing a proximity gesture. Such aproximity gesture could be the placing of the entire hand over thedevice without touching.

The technology of the present invention can also be used to provide anew interface on a display. The display technology is not relevant tothe present invention, so it can be of any type, including but notlimited to LCD, plasma, OLED or DLP. The display can be part of any typeof processing or visual media device. For example, the display can bepart of a computer or it can be part of a television or entertainmentcenter.

The touchpad that is used in this embodiment can also be referred to asa touchstrip which is simply a specialized touchpad either because ofits shape, its functionality or both. The shape of the touchstrip isgenerally going to be long and thin so that it can be placed in a narrowlocation, or easily confined to a narrow area of a larger device. Inthis embodiment, the location is in the bezel of a display. However, thetouchstrip can also be disposed inside devices that are not displays,such as the housing for a light switch.

The functionality of the touchstrip is also usually going to be limited,but it does not have to be. Typically, a touchstrip only providestracking of a pointing object in a single dimension, such as along itslong axis. The touchstrip is then useful for applications such asscrolling or making selections from a list of items being shown in acolumn. Scrolling can also be defined as increasing or decreasing thevalue of some variable parameter, such as the intensity of light beingcontrolled by a light switch.

Even though a touchstrip typically provides one-dimensionalfunctionality, the present invention can also be implemented with atouchstrip that is also capable of tracking movement in two dimensions.If the touchstrip is only capable of tracking movement in a singledimension and detecting touchdown in regions or zones, then thetouchstrip can be created using a single-layer touchpad, but is notlimited to such. If the touchstrip is capable of tracking motion in twodimensions, then it can be created using general purpose multi-layertouchpad technology.

FIG. 3 is another embodiment of the present invention wherein thetouchstrip 40 is shown as being placed on a perimeter of the display 42.In contrast to the prior art which places the touchstrip on a topsurface of an outer edge of a display housing, the perimeter of thedisplay 42 in the present invention is defined as being enclosed withinor being on an inside surface of an outer edge of a display housing.Specifically, the touchstrip 40 is disposed underneath a front bezel 44,underneath a side panel 46, underneath a rear panel 48 (not shown butplaced similar to the other touchstrips shown near a perimeter of thedisplay 42), or any combination of the three locations. The touchstrip40 is shown as a dotted line representing a possible outline of thetouchstrip on the inside surfaces. The length of the touchstrip 40 isalso adjustable. If the touchpad is disposed in more than one location,it will bend around corners to cover the desired inside surfaces of thehousing.

The materials used in the construction of a housing unit for a displaysuch as computer monitor or a television are materials that typically donot interfere with the normal operation of a touchpad. Accordingly, itis important that the housing should not contain metal or otherconductive materials which can interfere with normal touchpad operation.This limitation also applies to a housing that is not part of a display.

Concealing the touchstrip 40 on an inside surface of the display 42provides several advantages over the prior art. For example, thetouchstrip 40 is completely protected from any damage that might occurto the touchstrip from any object that bumps into or scrapes against thedisplay 42. Thus, the durability of the design of the present inventionis significantly improved. This design change is not typical fortouchpads that are generally installed as touch sensitive devices andnot proximity sensitive ones.

Concealing the touchstrip 40 within the display 42 also eliminates theneed to redesign the housing for the display. The prior art teaches thata groove or indentation should be created in the display to accommodatethe presence of the touchstrip. This modification can be costly. Inaddition, there is a need to create holes through the display so thattouchstrip sensor circuitry can make contact with the touchpad sensorplaced on the outside of the display.

In contrast, the present invention does not require any modification tothe outside of the housing of existing displays 42 because thetouchstrip sensors and the touchstrip sensor circuitry are both insidethe display. Thus, the cost of installing the touchstrip 40 issignificantly reduced.

For the touchstrip 40 of the present invention to operate as desired, itis preferable that the touchstrip be capable of both touch and proximitysensing because it is disposed underneath the front bezel 44, underneaththe side panel 46, underneath the rear panel 48, or any combinationthereof. Touching the surface of the front bezel 44, the side panel 46or the rear panel 48 is defined as touching the touchstrip 40, while anydetection and tracking of a pointing object without making contact withany part of the display 42 or its housing is defined as proximitysensing.

The touchstrip 40 provides all of the functionality of the touchpad ortouchscreen shown in the first embodiment of the present invention.Therefore, the touchstrip 40 is capable of detection of a pointingobject, such as a finger or hand, before contact is made with the frontbezel 44, the side panel 46 or the rear panel 48.

A typical application of the touchstrip 40 in this embodiment is thepresentation of a menu, an icon or a plurality of icons on the displaywhen a pointing object comes within a threshold activation distance ofthe touchstrip. For example, a user brings a finger close to a perimeterof the display 42. When the finger is detected, the display 42 is causedto show a menu that may include virtual buttons, show a single icon, orshow a plurality of icons.

Consider the example of the touchstrip disposed in various devices suchas a laptop computer, an electronic book or eBook reader or a digitalpicture frame. In an eBook, the user might wave a hand over a topsection of an eBook display to cause pages to turn in one direction, andwave a hand over a bottom section to cause pages to turn in an oppositedirection. Alternatively, moving a hand in a first direction over thetop section might cause pages to turn in the first direction, whilemoving the hand in a second direction that is opposite the firstdirection but still over the top section might cause pages to turn in adirection that is opposite to the first direction.

In the example of the digital picture frame, a long range sensor mightdetect the approach or passing of a person and so be activated. The usermight then wave a hand or finger over the frame to cause the pictures toincrement in a desired direction. Placing the hand over the entirepicture or a significant portion thereof could also be interpreted as acommand to enter a sleep mode.

FIG. 4 shows that in a first scenario, the user does not make contactwith the touchstrip 40, but moves a finger within a detection thresholddistance. Upon detection of the finger by the touchstrip 40, a menu 50is caused to appear on the display 42. The user then moves the finger sothat different portions of the menu 50 are highlighted. For example, atposition A, the first item 52 is highlighted on the menu 50, at positionB the second item 54 is highlighted on the menu, and finally at positionC the third item 56 is highlighted on the menu. The number of items onthe menu 50 can be any number and is not limited by the example above.Alternatively, the user could also touch the housing after the menu isactivated, sliding a finger up and down the menu options to highlight aparticular menu item. Once a selection is made, the user could haveselected a function that can be further manipulated by moving the fingerup and down the housing. Examples of functions include volume control,zooming, scrolling, etc.

Once an item on the menu is highlighted, the user needs to make aselection. To make a selection, the user moves the finger 58 to makedirect contact with the touchstrip 40. Alternatively, the user mightperform a proximity gesture by moving the finger 58 closer to thedisplay 42 but without making contact. The touchstrip 40 of the presentinvention is capable of detecting this change in position of the finger,which can be defined as making a selection.

The menu 50 is shown in FIG. 4 as being arranged as a vertical column ofoptions. The menu 50 can also be a horizontal column of options, withthe finger moving back and forth horizontally to make a selectioninstead of vertically as shown in FIG. 4.

In an alternative embodiment, the user must make contact with thetouchstrip 40 in order to make a change regarding which option on themenu 50 is highlighted. To make the change, the finger slides along thetouchstrip 40. The highlighted menu option is then selected by someother action such as, but not limited to, lifting the finger off thetouchstrip 40, tapping or double-tapping on the touchstrip, or waitingfor a predetermined length of time.

It should be understood that the touchpad can detect objects as theymove, not just at static distances. Thus, the actuating object can betracked anywhere it moves within a detection range. An example ofimplementation is provided by the following example. As shown in FIG. 5,consider a display 42. A finger 60 is detected as it approaches thedisplay 42 and touchpad 62 (not shown) disposed within the display.After the finger 60 is detected, an object such as a menu or an icon 64is displayed, or if already present, begins to grow larger on thedisplay. As the finger approaches the display 42, the icon 64 growsprogressively larger as indicated by outline 66 and 68. The size of theicon 64 is made to be a function of the distance of the finger 60 fromthe display 42. The icon 64 will grow to a maximum size and then grow nolarger. Likewise, the icon 64 will decrease in size as a function ofdistance, out to a maximum distance at which the icon disappears or nolonger grows smaller on the display 42.

The icon 64 can be replaced with any object that can be shown on thedisplay 42, such as a menu or a plurality of icons. The concept to beunderstood is that the size of the object 64 being displayed is afunction of distance of the actuating object 62.

It should be apparent that the proximity sensing of the touchstrip 40 iscapable of not only detecting the presence of the actuating object, butalso of tracking movement. For example, the user might perform aproximity gesture by moving the finger in a back-and-forth waving motionover the touchstrip 40. The waving motion can be used to change the menuas if the user is turning a page. The waving motion of the finger is anexample of a gesture made in three-dimensional space above thetouchstrip 40.

Another aspect of the present invention is that the touchpad is notlimited to a display housing. Thus, the touchpad can be disposed insideof any device that does not interfere with operation of the touchpad.For example, the touchpad could be disposed within an external keyboardof a desktop computer.

It is to be understood that the above-described arrangements are onlyillustrative of the application of the principles of the presentinvention. Numerous modifications and alternative arrangements may bedevised by those skilled in the art without departing from the spiritand scope of the present invention. The appended claims are intended tocover such modifications and arrangements.

1. An electronic appliance comprised of: A display screen that does notaccept touch or proximity input; a display housing for the displayscreen of an electronic appliance, the display housing beingmanufactured using materials that enable a capacitive touchpad tooperate through the display housing; and a capacitive touchpad disposedwithin the display housing and within an inside surface of an outer edgeof the display housing that is not part of the display screen, andwherein the touchpad is capable of detecting and tracking movement of anactuating object that is in proximity of but not in contact with thedisplay housing, wherein proximity detection of the actuating objectactivates a first function.
 2. The electronic appliance as defined inclaim 1 wherein the touchpad is disposed in a front bezel, a side panel,a rear panel, or any combination of the three locations on the displayhousing.
 3. The electronic appliance as defined in claim 1 wherein thetouchpad is further comprised of a multi-layer general purpose designthat is capable of detecting and tracking the actuating object in two orthree dimensions.
 4. The electronic appliance as defined in claim 1wherein the touchpad is further comprised of a single-layer design thatis capable of detecting and tracking the actuating object in a singledimension.
 5. The electronic appliance as defined in claim 1 wherein thetouchpad is also capable of detecting the actuating object when it is incontact with the display housing.
 6. A method of detecting and trackingan actuating object using an electronic appliance, said methodcomprising: 1) providing a display screen that does not accept touch orproximity input, a display housing of an electronic appliance that ismanufactured using materials that enable a capacitive touchpad tooperate through the display housing, and a capacitive touchpad disposedwithin the display housing and on an inside surface of an outer edge ofthe display housing that is not part of the display screen, wherein thetouchpad is capable of detecting and tracking movement of an actuatingobject that is 1) in proximity of but not in contact with the displayhousing, and 2) in contact with the display housing; 2) moving theactuating object within a threshold distance of the touchpad to therebyperform a first proximity gesture, wherein the touchpad detects andtracks movement of the actuating object; 3) activating a first functionof the electronic appliance in response to the first proximity gesture.7. The method as defined in claim 6 wherein the method further comprisesthe step of disposing the touchpad in a front bezel, a side panel, arear panel, or any combination of the three locations on the displayhousing.
 8. The method as defined in claim 6 wherein the method furthercomprises the steps of: 1) providing a multi-layer general purposetouchpad design; and 2) detecting and tracking the actuating object intwo or three dimensions.
 9. The method as defined in claim 6 wherein themethod further comprises the steps of: 1) providing a single-layertouchpad design; 2) detecting and tracking the actuating object in asingle dimension.
 10. The method as defined in claim 6 wherein themethod further comprises the step of detecting the actuating object whenit is in contact with the display housing.
 11. The method as defined inclaim 6 wherein the method further comprises the step of detecting andtracking a proximity gesture performed by the actuating object.
 12. Themethod as defined in claim 6 wherein the method further comprises thesteps of: 1) performing a second gesture that is either a proximitygesture or a touch gesture; and 2) activating at least a second functionor second interface of the electronic appliance in response to thesecond gesture, wherein the second function or second interface ismutually exclusive of the first function or first interface. 13.(canceled)
 14. (canceled)
 15. The method as defined in claim 6 whereinthe method further comprises activating a second function when theactuating object makes contact with the capacitive touchpad.
 16. Themethod as defined in claim 6 wherein the method further comprisesactivating a second function when the actuating object performs aproximity gesture.
 17. The method as defined in claim 6 wherein themethod further comprises activating a second function that not relatedto the first function.
 18. The method as defined in claim 6 wherein themethod further comprises selecting the first function from the group offunctions comprised of scrolling through items shown in a menu,performing page turning, and selecting an item shown in the menu.